Finding Themselves: The Letters of an American Amy Chief Nurse in the British Hospital in France — John Shaqi
Finding Themselves: The Letters of an American Amy Chief Nurse in the British Hospital in FranceStimson, Julia C. (Julia Catherine)
History
Finding Themselves: The Letters of an American Amy Chief Nurse in the British Hospital in France
Stimson, Julia C. (Julia Catherine)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
We have been here just a week to-night and are beginning to get over
our strangeness. We have learned much of our duties and do not now feel
that we can never learn them all. All the nurses have their regular
places of duty and are getting to know their patients, and what to do
for them. Fortunately for them we have not received any new convoys of
men during the week, but we have been sending some out every day or
night; but in a few days, after we are a little more accustomed to our
duties, we shall begin to get in more wounded by the hundred. There are
only five or six of the English nurses left here with us, and they are
to go this week, we understand. The Matron, who is a most pleasant and
helpful person, is to stay here another week, which gives me the
shivers, for two weeks is an awfully short time in which to learn the
ropes, and all this first week I have not been doing much more than
attend to my nurses’ work and their quarters, equipment, etc. But
to-morrow I am going to retire to the Matron’s office and stay there.
One of my little jobs is to hire cooks and maids for the nurses’ mess
and quarters, and I am also hunting a stenographer. Between 40 and 50
V.A.D.’s are to stay on with us here, and we are mighty glad to have
them, for they are splendid. I understand that our C.O. (Commanding
Officer) has cabled home, or is going to cable home as soon as he has
proper British authority to do so, for more help for this hospital. I
have said that I want 40 more nurses and 25 carefully picked nurses’
aids. I think Miss Bridge could pick out the ones that are the most
capable and the most adaptable and the most willing to endure
difficulties and do without luxuries and even some comforts. I feel
quite sure that there are 25 of that kind among the large number that we
trained these past months. I do hope that the Red Cross will give the
authority for them to come out with the regular nurses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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